The NC Chamber supports Senate Bill 261: Energy Security and Affordability Act and will score it as a key vote.

As our state continues to experience exponential growth, it is more important now than ever before that North Carolina has a comprehensive, environmentally responsible strategy in place to ensure every corner of the state has access to reliable and affordable energy. We must keep all generation and storage solutions available to support grid modernization and improve access to renewables, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear power.

This legislation does not pose a threat to organizations with renewable goals of their own as programs and tools will remain available to meet those goals.

North Carolina has long been a leader and innovator when it comes to balancing energy needs and environmental priorities. As the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality cited in their most recent Air Quality Trends in North Carolina report, “North Carolinians are breathing the cleanest air in decades. State leaders, regulatory agencies, electric utilities, industry, and the public have significantly addressed air quality concerns in recent years. Their collective efforts are achieving impressive results..”

That culture of collaboration will no doubt continue as this legislation provides an opportunity to focus on achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. This marks an important advancement of policy for North Carolina to continue to provide nation-leading reliable, affordable energy for our manufacturers and residents so we can lead in future nuclear generation.